Fluid pressure dispensing container with valve actuated by nozzle



Sept. 26, 1967 .M. RAIT 3,343,729

FLUID PRESS DISPENSING CONTAINER WITH VALVE ACTUATED BY NOZZLE Filed Nov. 4, 1966 ATTORNEYS. I

United States Patent 3,343,729 FLUID PRESSURE DISPENSING CONTAINER WITH VALVE ACTUATED BY NOZZLE Joseph M. Rait, 95 Huxley Drive, Snyder, N.Y. 14226 Filed Nov. 4, 1966, Ser. No. 592,133 7 Claims. (Cl. ZZZ-402.21)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A dispenser for aerosol containers consisting of a shank extending through an opening in the container wall with a valve at its inner end, the shank being capable of tilting to unseat the valve and the outer end of the shank having a flexible head formation consisting of a skirt with the marginal edges of the skirt bearing against an outer surface of the container to flexibly urge the shank outwardly and seat the valve. The marginal edges of the skirt are free to slide radially on the outer surface of the container so that a more central but eccentric portion of the head inwardly of the marginal edges of the skirt may be depressed by flex-ure of the skirt to tilt the shank and valve :and thus produce dispensing of aerosol contents.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Ser. No. 476,369 filed Aug. 2, 1965, now Patent No. 3,283,961, issued Nov. 8, 1966, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of my prior application, Ser. No. 377,798, filed June 11, 1964, now abandoned.

This invention relates to dispensing closure constructions for containers and particularly to closures for pressurized dispensing containers of the aerosol type.

In providing a satisfactory closure for a dispensing container the two prime considerations are an adequate leak proof seal for the contents and the pressurizing gas and low manufacturing cost. The necessity for a highly effective closure in the case of pressurized containers is obvious and the importance of low cost relates directly to the types of products which may be economically vended in pressurized containers. Normally low-priced products cannot be sold in pressurized containers unless the container cost is in keeping with the permissible sales price of the entire package.

A large potential field of use of aerosol or other pressurized dispensing containers is virtually unexploited because of the cost of an adequate dispensing valve closure of any of the types currently available. This field of poten tial use is in relatively small sized containers which, with commonly used products such as shaving cream, for example, must be sold for a very low price to be competitive. Yet the usefulness of aerosol dispensing techniques is if anything greater than in relatively larger size containers since pressure dispensing of toiletries, cosmetics and the like serves its greatest needs in business and vacation travel, camping and other uses Where small size is an especially important consideration. Obviously the selling prices of a small sized package must be proportionately low and this emphasizes the need for a low cost dispensing means.

Speaking generally, the dispensing closure of the present invention comprises a container including a top end member having a central opening therein and a closure and operating member which consist of a shank extending generally axially through such opening which has at its 3,343,729 Patented Sept. 26, 1967 p Ice operating member which consists of a shank extending outer end an enlargement which includes an annular flange extending radially outwardly and axially inwardly toward the container end member to bear marginally against the outer surface of such end member. This closure and operating member further includes an enlargement at its inner end which forms a valve and seats against an inwardly facing valve seat which is a part of or disposed against the inner face of the aforesaid end member of the container.

The member or members forming the closure and operating member may readily be molded of synthetic resin or other material and it is a particular aspect of the present invention that the part forming the aforesaid annular flange be of plastic material which is normally relatively rigid but which, at least as to the thinner portions of such flange, is resilient and serves as a return spring by reason of such resilience, thus obviating the need for a biasing spring or a separate biasing member of another form for urging the valve to its normally seated position.

In the form of my dispensing closure construction which particularly forms the subject matter of the present invention, the shank of the operating member and the opening in the container end wall through which such shank extends, are so proportioned as to permit relative angular movement of the shank relative to the axis of the opening so that the valve is unseated by a tilting action. This construction permits dispensing operation by applying manual pressure to an edge or marginal portion of the outer enlargement of the operating member which tilts the internal valve to partially unseated position.

While several embodiments of the principles of the present invention are illustrated in the drawings and described in the following specification, it is to be understood that such embodiments are by way of example only and that the claims are not limited to the precise details thus illustrated and described nor otherwise than as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a general elevational view of a container equipped with one form of the dispensing closure combination of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentarylongitudinal sectional view on the line 22 of FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 2 but showing a modified embodiment of the present invention.

For the general purposes of the disclosure of the principles of the present invention it may be assumed that the containers of the various embodiments illustrated herein are generally cylindrical although it is to be understood that the closures and dispensing mechanisms which form the subject matter of the invention may be applied with equal effect to containers of other shapes and forms. In FIG. 1 the numeral 15 designates a tubular-or hollow cylindrical container body having an integral bottom wall 16 and a top wall member 17 which, in the present instance, has an annular groove in its underside which fits over the upper end of body 15. The top end wall 17 may be permanently secured to body 15 by the use of an adhesive, by heat sealing the same, or in any other desired manner. In the alternative, the top end wall 17 may be integral with the cylindrical body 15 and the bottom end wall 16 may be a separate closure member, in which case the valve member and the contents will be introduced to the container through the bottom prior to application of the bottom wall.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the top wall member 17 is generally convex and is provided with a central bore. The principal component of the container closure in this embodiment comprises an axially extending shank 18 having a generally discoidal valve enlargement 19 at its inner end and a manual operating member 20 attached to its outer end. Operating member 2%) comprises an annular body portion 21 having a downwardly flaring skirt portion 22 at its lower end and an annular enlargement 23 at its upper end in the form of a flange or rim formation.

The upper or outer end of shank 18 has a reduced portion provided with a tapered head formation 25 and the central opening in the operating member 20 is stepped, as shown in FIG. 2, so that assembly of shank 18 with respect to the operating member may be effected by inserting the upper or outer end of shank 18 through the opening in member 20 and the resilience of the latter will cause the tapered head formation 25 to snap into assembled position. This assembly will be effected after shank 13 has been assembled upwardly through the opening in top wall member 17.

A perforation 27 in the upper end of operating member 20 comprises the dispensing outlet port of the device and it will be noted that the central opening through which shank 18 extends through top wall member 17 is of hourglass form and sufficient clearance is provided to permit shank 18 to tilt angularly in such opening. From the foregoing, it will be seen that downward manual pressure on flange or rim 23 at any point about its periphery will cause the depending skirt portion to spread flexibly and shank 18 will move to an inclined position which will tilt valve 19 from seated position. A washer 28 is interposed between valve 19 and the opposed interior wall of member 17. Material under pressure within the container will thus move over the upper side of the tilted valve, through the opening in wall member 17 about shank 18, and will be discharged through perforation 27.

The natural resilience of the thermoplastic material from which'the operating member 20 is molded is such that, while generally fairly rigid and self-sustaining, it has sufiicient flexibility so that the relatively thin skirt portion may spread as described above. Furthermore, this natural resilience will cause operating member 20 to normally assume the position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 wherein the valve is securely seated and the contents are retained against egress. While tilting operation is particularly provided for in the foregoing dispensing closure construction, dispensing operation may also be effected by a straight downward push on operating member 20 which moves valve 19 axially downwardly from its seat.

The operation of the dispensing closure structure of the embodiment of FIG. 3 is the same in principle as that of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2. The numeral 39 desig nates a tubular or hollow cylindrical container body having a top wall member 31 which is grooved to seat over the upper end of body and may be permanently secured by an adhesive, by heat sealing, or in any other desired manner.

The closure and dispensing assembly comprises a shank 32 having a valve consisting of an enlargement 33 at its lower end. Shank 32 extends loosely through a central perforation in top wall member 31 and a generally frustoconical operating member 34 is perforated to receive a reduced upper end portion of shank 32 which includes a tapered enlargement 35. As in the previous embodiment the central perforation in operating member 34 is stepped so that the tapered head formation 35 of shank 32 may be snapped into assembled position in operating member 34. A perforation 36 in operating member 34 comprises the dispensing outlet part of the device. The marginal edge portions of the frusto-conical operating member 34 engage against the outer surface of top wall member 31 and, through the natural resilience of the material from which operating member 34 is molded, the closure structure i urged upwardly to seat valve 33 against the underside of top wall member 31. As'in the previous instance, a washer 37 is interposed between valve 33 and its seat against top wall member 31.

From the foregoing it will be seen that manual downward pressure anywhere about the top of operating member 34 will unseat valve 33. If this manual downward pressure is eccentrically applied, it will cause shank 32 to incline angularly and valve 33 will open by a tilting movement. If the manual downward pressure is more or less centrally applied, the valve will open by direct axial movement:

The dispensing closure container structure of the present invention may be provided with what is known in the art as a dip tube whereby contents flow to the dispensing opening from the lower portion of the container through a vertically extending tube. The embodiment of FIG. 3 is shown provided with such a dip tube arrangement. For this purpose, a tubular member 40 is secured at it upper end to the underside of top wall member 31, in the present instance, by fitting within an annular flange 41. Tubular member 40 is tapered to provide a reduced lower end portion 42 which is secured to a tube 43 which extends downwardly relatively close to the bottom of the interior of the container body 30. Thus, in the case of liquid contents, material is dispensed through tube 43, tubular member 40, over valve 33, through the perforation in top wall member 31 and through dispensing opening 36, until the liquid content of the container is virtually exhausted.

In FIG. 3 protuberances 44 are provided at the upper side of top Wall member 31 which are paced about the central perforation therein and limit downward movement of the central portion of operating member 34. This prevents cutting off the dispensing flow by too great a depression of the central portion of operating member 34.

I claim:

1. In a dispensing closure structure for pressurized containers, a container wall having an aperture and an outer surface portion surrounding said aperture, an operating member having a medial shank portion extending through said aperture with a valving formation at it inner end and a skirt formation at its outer end, said shank and said aperture being proportioned to permit free angular tilting movement of said shank in said aperture, said skirt formation being of resilient material, the marginal edges of said skirt being in slidable abutment with said container Wall outer surface and the more central portions of said skirt being normally spaced from said surface whereby an eccentric portion of said skirt inwardly of said marginal edges may be depressed against the resilient resistance of the material thereof to displace said shank portion angularly and tilt said valving forma tion by flexure of said skirt with said marginal edges of said skirt slidable radially on said container wall outer surface to permit relatively free flexure of said skirt formation, said valve being normally biased outwardly toward an inner portion of said container wall by the resiliency of said skirt formation to seal the pressurized contents of said container, and discharge passage means leading from the interior of said container wall to the exterior of said dispensing closure structure.

2. A dispensing closure structure according to claim 1 wherein said container wall portion aperture has a flarin'g wall portion whereby the lesser diameter portion centers said shank portion and the flaring wall permits free angular tilting of said shank portion.

3. A dispensing closure structure according to claim 1 wherein said outer surface portion is relatively flat and said skirt formation is generally frusto-conical.

4. A dispensing closure structure according to claim 1 wherein said outer surface portion is convex and said marginal edges of said skirt formation bear against said convex surface portion.

5. A dispensing closure structure according to claim 2 wherein said outer surface portion is relatively flat and References Cited said skirt formation is generally frusto-conical. UNITED STATES PATENTS 6. A dispensing closure structure according to claim 2 wherein said outer surface portion is convex and said mar- 2681752 6/1954 Jarrett at 222- 402-13 ginal edges of said skirt formation bear against said con 5 2839225 6/1958 Sofier et 222 0224 X vex surface portion 3,089,624 5/1963 Mlcallef 222-40225 X 7. A dispensing closure structure according to claim 1 wherein said shank portion and said container wall aper- FOREIGN pAirEuNTs ture are proportioned to permit flow of contents there- 748,653 5/1956 Great Britain.

b t e when sa'd valve is dis laced from seated osigg n 1 p p 10 SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A DISPENSING CLOSURE STRUCTURE FOR PRESSURIZED CONTAINERS, A CONTAINER WALL HAVING AN APERTURE AND AN OUTER SURFACE PORTION SURROUNDING SAID APERTURE, AN OPERATING MEMBER HAVING A MEDIAL SHANK PORTION EXTENDING THROUGH SAID APERTURE WITH A VALVING FORMATION AT ITS INNER END AND A SKIRT FORMATION AT ITS OUTER END, SAID SHANK AND SAID APERTURE BEING PROPORTIONED TO PERMIT FREE ANGULAR TILTING MOVEMENT OF SAID SHANK IN SAID APERTURE, SAID SKIRT FORMATION BEING OF RESILIENT MATERIAL, THE MARGINAL EDGES OF SAID SKIRT BEING IN SLIDABLE ABUTMENT WITH SAID CONTAINER WALL OUTER SURFACE AND THE MORE CENTRAL PORTIONS OF SAID SKIRT BEING NORMALLY SPACED FROM SAID SURFACE WHEREBY AN ECCENTRIC PORTION OF SAID SKIRT INWARDLY OF SAID MARGINAL EDGES MAY BE DEPRESSED AGAINST THE 